London Mums Blog

Woolies is back -- get 20 percent off schoolwear in August

In case you missed it, Woolies is back (online) and is offering 20 percent off their road-tested school uniforms this month. The uniforms received a 9 out of 10 from mums after some serious testing. The best part is that you can order online! Check it out...

This post was written by Susanna, a London Mums Blog founding contributor. You can read more at her blog, A ModernMother.

Was it worth booking to see Jude Law in Hamlet 18 months ago?!

There was a time when I vaguely fancied Jude Law, particularly when he starred in The Talented Mr Ripley as the rich, cool and beautiful Dickie Greenleaf. But I would have had dinner with Philip Seymour Hoffman who played his ebullient friend. Hoffman is ugly and weird and interesting, a fabulous actor. I would watch a Kleenex ad if he was in it.

But I liked Jude’s name and named my son Jude too. Jude is now 8; Jude Law must be in his later thirties. We went to see him star as Hamlet at the Wyndhams Theatre. I had strangely booked the tickets a year and a half ago, before 2009 existed, before 2008 had arrived. I remember thinking I could be dead by June 2009, but I booked anyway because my husband had made me a friend of the Donmar Warehouse and they had alerted me to the news that Jude Law would be playing Hamlet several years down the line. I wanted to see the production because the Donmar Warehouse can’t seem to deliver anything mediocre.

Me, My Dyson and my car

I love my new Dyson DC25 Animal to bits -- but it's been a bit of a culture shock. Its predecessor was about 100 years old, so giving me a Dyson was like giving a granny an iPhone.

I can't get over how much it sucks up. Five containers full on the first go around our house. I had no idea I was living in such filth!

OK, I am a bit obsessed by it. I will often take it out do a quick run round the house. My husband caught me once and asked why I was vacuuming at 10 pm, the night before our cleaner was due. I just looked at him and scrunched my brow. Am I the only who enjoys dust being neatly sucked up and encased? Because, I told him. Huuummmph!

The many uses of porridge...

I always have dry hands. It could have something to do with washing up three or four times a day. Or not wearing gloves while cleaning the oven. Or maybe rubbing a glob of stain remover in a banana splotch that has turned a white shirt a browny hue of black wasn't such a good idea.

The nice people at Aveeno must have a webcam hidden in my kitchen and sent me some products to try out: Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion, Aveeno Cream, and Aveeno Bath Powder.

How cool is this?! Eco party bags and supplies

Are you fed up with party bags that are filled with plastic toys that end up in the bin? Tired of feeling guilty about the amount of waste from your last party?

Lucy from Little Cherry was in touch the other day and really opened my eyes regarding party bags and products. She sent me a nice box of samples and my girls had a ball playing with everything. And I was surprised (and happy) to learn that most of the items could go right into the compost bin after use.

A little boy's dream: The London Transport Museum

Where do you take a train, plane, bus and car mad three-year-old for his birthday in London?  Why, The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, of course! This was Boy #2's treat of choice last week.  Admittedly, they don't have airplanes there, but as a place where you can spot practically every other mode of transport in London, it ticked all his boxes.
 
The Transport Museum is tucked away in the South East corner of the Covent Garden Piazza, and is easily reachable by tube.  As a family-friendly destination, they don't come much better than the Piazza, with it's host of shops and stalls on the galleries in the restored old Covent Garden vegetable market, the street entertainment on offer in and around it, the (admittedly pricey) restaurants and bars when you need refuelling, and the simple pleasure of being outdoors in what I personally find an exciting, buzzy and vibrant part of town.  Add the Opera House, the local theatre, and the Transport Museum to the mix and this are becomes one of the top tourist attractions in London.  

How long is a Piece of String?

I had an 'interesting' morning today.  The Boys and I went along to the Unicorn Theatre in Tooley Street to see one of the latest Oily Cart productions; 'How Long is a Piece of String?'
 
Here's what the website blurb said: "An interactive, multi-sensory production with astonishing visuals and original, live music, exploring and celebrating the wonders of string.  Follow a trail of string into the theatre where performers lead you around a woven wonderland of different chambers full of strings, ropes and pulleys."

London theatre for a preschooler? Oh yes! Go see William's Monster

Poor William.  He's misunderstood as being a little monster, when in fact all he wants to do is have some fun and use his imagination.  And to cap it all, his parents plan a weekend away without him, and he has to go and stay with his scary grandfather, who makes him sleep in the attic where there are all sorts of funny noises and goings on...
 
I took Boy #2 to the theatre this week.  He's not even three yet, but theatre is a treat he and his brother have been getting since they were tiny; I think the youngest that I took either of them was when they were about nine months.  I know, I know.  I can here you saying from here.  A preschooler?  To the theatre?  What kind of a mug are you?

Try ice skating with the kids, it's fun, really...

The Ice Rink and the Christmas Fair at the Natural History Museum are billed as 'London's most spectacular winter attraction'.
 
Well, what could be better for a cold November afternoon when the nights are drawing in and the park is out of the question?  We took our two boys (five and three years old) and a couple of visiting family members to see if it lived up to the hype.
 
To a certain extent, it does.  It's in a fabulous location right in front of the beautiful Victorian façade of the museum, and is prettily lit by twinkling white lights in the surrounding trees, so it certainly looked festive enough.

Chuggington -- the next Thomas the Tank?!

I’m not a big fan of television. There’s not much worth watching. When it comes to a mediocre television drama or sleep – I’ll pick sleep every time.

Children’s television is different. Though parents don’t want to admit it, we often use TV as a type of babysitter, a way to keep the kids quiet while we steal away a few minutes to cook dinner, make an important phone call, or in my case, write a blog post.

The people who make kid’s programmes are very clever and have figured out that if they create something entertaining that will keep a child's attention, but also make it educational, parents won't feel so guilty about letting them watch it.

The end of finger sucking?

I was dreading the dentist. I knew that he would comment yet again on how my 4 1/2-year-old should not suck her fingers.

I also knew I didn't have a plan to combat this habit -- apart from the occasional “serious” discussions about my daughter's future beauty and other equally unsuccessful activities.

However, this time the dentist had a plan...or at least tangible advice.

He produced a leaflet about thumb and finger guards which are sold in the UK and are apparently quite successful. Our dentist gave the product a resounding thumbs up and that’s all I needed.

I promptly went to Thumbguard and bought a finger guard for £49.99 plus the usual extras.